susemihl



(No Model.)

1". G. SUSEMIHL; GOAL CHUTE.

' Patented Nov. Z6, 1889.

5 sheets-sheen 1.

F. G. SUSEMIHL.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

GOAL CHUTE.

(No Model.)

VVEWTOR Patented Nov. 26, 1589.v

N. PETERS, PholoLRhngvapher. Wljngwn. D. C.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. I. G. SUSEMIHL.

GOAL CHUTE. u No. 416,018. Patented Nov. 26, 1889.

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l (No Model.)

u 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. P. G. SUSBMIHL.

CUAL CHUTE.

110.416,018. Patented Nov. 26, 1889. y

Fig. la I WITWESSES .vii-20mm).

INVEWTOR N. PETERS. Phulv-Lnnugrlphev. Washingon, D-C.

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FRANCIS G. SUSEMII'IL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TVO TIIIRDS TO ASA G. DAILEY AND JAMES D. HAXVKS, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

COAL-CHUTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,018, dated November 26, 1889.

Application filed August 30, 1889. Serial No. 322,459. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS G. SUsEiniHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of 5 Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Coal-Chutes, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful im- Io provements in eoal-chutes such as are used to deliver coal into locomotive-tenders; and the object of my invention is to simplify the construction by dispensing` with a great deal of unnecessary parts-such as the loc-king devices-whereby the working becomes more reliable and the maintenance cheaper, While at the same time the operation is made more automatic. The general plan after which such coal-chutes are built in the present state of the art is to construct elevated pockets with slopingbottoms, each of a size to contain about five tons of coal, (more or less.) These pockets are generally arranged under the roof of a suitable shed, preferably with two lines of pockets on opposite sides, to be accessible for two tracks, and with an elevated track between the chutes to take coal from coal-ears. Each pocket has generally a retaining-door in front of it for holding back the coal, and outside of this retaining-door is an apron hinged at the bottom of thepocket, so as to swing down, and when down to form a continuation of the sloping bottom of the pocket to convey the coal into the tendel. In all such coalehutes the inner or retaining door is hinged at the top and is calculated to keep the coal in the pocket until the apron is thrown down into its lowest position, as otherwise the coal, or the greater part, would be spouted over the tender. To this end the inner door is provided with latches or other locking devices7 which, for the convenience of opening, are in most chutes operated by pulling on a lever which unlatches them to permit the coal to pass out.

The majority of chutes now in use by railroads have their aprons counterbalanced by a suitable weight or weights attached to the ends of chains which run over suitable sheavewheels,` and are secured to the sides of the aprons. These weights cannot eounterbalance the apron exactly in its different positions. The apron closes with a bang and is very hard to start down. In other constructions the apron has arms-one on each sideextending to the rear with weights attached to the ends, and sometimes the back arm or rear extension. of the sides of the apron is used to automatically unlatch the inner door when'the apron is thrown down; but while the chutes are thereby made more automatic, yet they are liable to become deranged, as a number of dillerent parts are required which are apt to get out of order. The plan of raising the apron by attaching a weight to a rear extension also has its drawbacks, as it throws an enormous strain on t-he pivots and the wood-work of the apron, causing' it to warp and spring out of shape, and the coal-chutes cannot be built so compact as the frame has to be built, so as to let the arms pass upward on the sides of the chute. There is also one kind of coal-chute which has only an outer door or apron, while for the inner door of the pocket is substituted a iixed planking or boarding which leaves an opening at the bottom of the chute about one to two feet high. In this case there is much uncertainty about the coal sliding out of the pocket, as if the coal is too large it may wedge in the opening, especially in winter-ti1n e,wh en the coal is liable to i'reeze, and with smaller coal and too large an opening the coal may spout over the tender before the apron is fairly down and can send it to the center of the tender. The couiiter\veigl1t applied to the apron is generally so arranged as to throw the ap'roi'l up into a perpendicular position.

In all chutes the outer apron is thrown' up perpendicularly when closed, and besides the counter-weight which holds it in closed position often a heavy catch is used to lock the apron, as there is danger of its being pushed open by the pressure of the coal against the inner door in ease the latches of the latter should spring open or not be securely locked.

In my improved chute, which forms the subject of this application, I entirely dispense with the usualfastenings for the inner door by constructing the apron in such a manner that it forms at the same time aloek IOO for the inner door. Vhile I prefer to continue the plan of counterweighting the apron for drawing it up into position out of the way of the locomotive, my invention also dispenses with the necessity of drawing it up fully into a perpendicular position, dispensing thereby with the objectionable banging of the apron and making it much easier to pull it down'. I also dispense with the necessity of using a bolt to close the door, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical cross-section through my improved coal-chute, showing the chute on one side open, as in the act of discharging the coal therefrom, while on the other side the chute is shown in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar section of a portion of the chtite with the parts in the position as in discharging` the coal therefrom. Fig. 3 is a similar section with the parts in the initial position of the apron in closing. Fig. 4 is a front'elevation of Fig. 2. preferable for fixing over old chutes.

A is an elevated track, on either side of which are arranged a series of pockets B, into which the coal may be shoveled from the coal cars standing on the track. These pockets are provided with inclined bottoms C, adapted to let the coal slide out when the doors forming the outer sides are open and the apron thrown down, the pockets being placed at a suitable elevation and the apron projecting far enough to the outside to allow the coal to be discharged into the center of the tender, all in a known manner, except as hereinafter described.

D is the retaining-door, by which the coal is prevented from sliding out of the pocket when closed.

E are the hinges, by means of which the door is suspended, so that it will hang in vertical position to close the opening of the chtite and is free to swing outwardly with its lower end, when unlocked, under the weight of the coal contained in the pocket, and to return to its perpendicular position, under the action of its gravity, after the coal is discharged.

Fis an apron hinged to the side of the pocket adapted to form an extension of the inclined bottom of the pocket when the apron is thrown down.

Gare chains or cables attached to the sides of the apron.

H are the sheaves around which the chains or cables pass, and I is a counter-weight, preferably in the form of a piece of timber, attached to the end of chain or cable for counterbalancing the apron, all the parts being of usual construction and operation, cxcept as hereinafter described.

Instead of having the joints of the hinges J, which connect the apron to the lower edge of the pocket, in line, or nearly so, with the inner edge of the apron, as in the usual construction, I put the joints up and back, so

Fig. 5 shows a modification that in the movement of the apron the inner edge describes a circle, and in connection therewith I secure to the lower end of the door circular bearings K, upon which the inner edge of the apron is adapted to ride in its opening and closing movement. These bearings may be formed in any suitable manner-d such as by casting them of metal, solid or in skeleton form, or constructing them in the form of wooden' blocks sheathed or covered with iron, all so arranged that when the retaining-doors are fully closed the center of the bearings K and of the pivots of the hinges are substantially in the same axial line. Where the inner edges of the door ride upon these bearing-blocks, I preferably secure suitable rub-irons L to the apron to prevent the wood-work from wearing out.

The parts being constructed as described and shown, they are intended to operate as follows: If the apron F is thrown up, as shown upon one side of Fig. l, the retainingdoors D are firmly locked by the apron, the inner edges of which bear against the bearing-blocks, and the pressure `of the coal against the retaining-doors alone is sufficient to prevent any accidental opening of the doors. Now, if the operator, who wants to empty the coal from the pocket, pulls down on the usual rope or chain L, attached at the outer edge of the apron, the latter, while moving down, rides with its inner edge upon the bearingblocks until it is fully thrown down, or nearly so, when the pressure of the coal will automatically throw open the retaining-doors and allow the coal to discharge. As soon as the coal is discharged the retaining-door D closes by its own weight, and the operator,pushing up the apron, allows the counter-weight I to throw up the apron back into its normally-closed position. As soon' as the apron moves np from its lowest position it continues to engage again with its inner edge upon the bearings K and keeps the retaining-door D firmly closed in `any of its positions, except when fully thrown down. Another advantage in my construction consists in not drawing the apron into a perpendicular position, but allowing it to extend outwardly and at an angle about square against the iioor. To this end I form the outer extension M on the top of the pocket, and place the overhead sheaves Il some distance outside the pocket, so that after the apron has arrived at a certain angle when thrown up it will be checked before it bangs against the retaining doors or frame of the pocket,4 which latter disadvantage is usually connected with the present construction of coal-chutes. advantage by this construction that the overhang of the door gives the operator better leverage to pull down the apron.

The principle involved in my improvement as regards the locking of the retaining-door is to cause the apron to obstruct the lower edge of the retainingdoor, except when fully I gain the additional IOO IOS

IIO

thrown down. This may be accomplished in a simple and practical manner by placing suitable obstructions at few points only on the lower edge of the retaining-door and correspondingly near the inner edge of the apron, so arranged that as the apron is raised the obstructions are brought in contact with each other and ride upon each other in a circular path.

The modified construction shown in Fig.

v5, consisting of a curved arm or nose-piece K', which is secured to the lower outer edge of door D, with which the inner edge of the apron comesvin contact, thereby locking the door, I consider better adapted to providing coal-chutes already in existence with my improvement; but I do not wish to limit myself to any specific construction, as it is ob-V vious, for instance, that an operative device may be made by attaching the hinges as in the usual manner-that is, with the joints on the inner edge of the apron. In this case the inner ,edge of the apron has to be cut away at such points where the obstruction is placed on the lower edge of the retaining-door. It is also unnecessary to form the circular bearing on the retaining-door, as a simple nosepiece or projection adapted to ride on a circular bearing on the inner edge of the apron may accomplish the same purpose.

My improved construction is equally applicable to doors counterbalanoing by means of chains an d weights or by means of weigh ted arms projecting rearwardly from the apron.

What I claim as my invention is I. In a coal-chute, the combination, with a door hingcd at its upper edge and having bearings on its lower edge, of an apron hinged at its inner edge, adapted to swing upwardly, for locking the door when closed by coming in contact with said bearings, substantially as described.

2. In a coal-chute of the kind described, the combination of a hinged apron having the joints of its hinges back of its inner edge,

and a retaining-door having a circular bearing or bearings formed or secured at its lower edge, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence' of two witnesses, this 9th day of August, 1889.

FRANCIS G. SUSEMII-IL.

Vitnesses A. HAMILTON, ED. MCBREARTY. 

